EXPERTISE
Competition & State Aid

European Commission publishes first in-depth decision on the Foreign Subsidy Regulation in e&/PPF

May 2025 – On 4 April 2025, the European Commission issued its long-awaited decision regarding the e&/PPF case, following an in-depth Phase II investigation that ultimately led to the adoption of commitments. The transaction concerns the 50%-plus-one-share...

Franchising Law Handbook

May 2025 – We are pleased to release our Franchising Law Handbook—a comprehensive guide developed by Kinstellar’s team of IP and competition law experts across our jurisdictions. The initiative was led by Partner Natalia Kirichenko to support businesses...

Category Management Agreements: Belgian Competition Authority issues landmark decision in cartel case involving anti-competitive arrangements for the placement of OTC medicines in pharmacies

April 2025 – On 24 April 2025, the Belgian Competition Authority (“BCA”) announced that it had imposed fines totalling EUR 11.2 million on pharmaceutical companies Johnson & Johnson, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Haleon. The sanctions were issued...

Dive into the latest competition law updates in Romania

April 2025 – In the first quarter of 2025, the Romanian Competition Council (“RCC”) published several significant decisions, launched new investigations, and imposed fines in cases involving abuse of dominant position, price coordination, and other...

Harald Strahberger, a leading regulatory lawyer, joins Kinstellar as Partner in Vienna

March 2025 – Kinstellar is delighted to announce that Harald Strahberger has joined our newly launched Vienna office as a Partner. His addition strengthens our public law and regulatory capabilities, further enhancing the firm’s expertise in Austria...

Food prices in Bulgaria: Businesses to remain vigilant even after the competition authority finds no anti-competitive agreements between supermarkets

February 2025 – In a decision that will shape the competitive landscape of the Bulgarian food market, the Bulgarian Commission for Protection of Competition (“CPC”) concluded that there is no evidence of anti-competitive agreements between the major...

Kinstellar's Regional 2024 Competition Review and 2025 Outlook: Key insights and trends

February 2025 – We are excited to release the first edition of Kinstellar's Regional 2024 Competition Review and 2025 Outlook: Key insights and trends. This report provides an overview of the latest developments in competition law across our jurisdictions...

Kinstellar successfully closes the landmark Project Bluesky transaction

January 2025 – Kinstellar Budapest, acting as the lead counsel for Hungary, has successfully closed the landmark Project Bluesky transaction, advising the Hungarian Power Exchange (HUPX) and the Hungarian Transmission System Operator, MAVIR.

Overview of "gun-jumping" cases in Ukraine

December 2024 – The Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine (AMC) is increasing enforcement efforts against so-called “gun-jumping” violations (i.e. a merger or acquisition executed without the prior approval of the AMC), demanding stricter scrutiny even...

Turkish Competition Authority adopts the much-anticipated Guidelines on Competition Infringements in Labour Markets

December 2024 – The Turkish Competition Authority (“TCA”) announced on 3 December 2024 that the much-anticipated Guidelines on Competition Infringements in Labour Markets (“Guidelines”) were been adopted by the Competition Board at its meeting...